With a substantial 17-8 showing in the regular season and a third-place finish, the Ooks women's hockey team has earned them a spot in the 2024 ACAC Postseason, which opens up this weekend with a semi-final matchup against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens.

These two teams met in the 2023 ACAC Finals, with Red Deer ultimately prevailing in the series, so the Ooks are looking to exact some revenge for last year's defeat. In the regular season, the Ooks and Queens faced off five times, and while Red Deer had the edge in the first four contests, the Ooks scored a convincing 5-1 victory in their most recent game against Red Deer on February 17.

With the recent history between the two teams, and given the geography of ACAC Women's Hockey teams, Head Coach Brendan Jensen says these Ooks-Queens games have added significance to them.

"(They're) one of our closest rivals in the conference, for sure," Jensen explained. "And all of our games... even this year, even though the season series might have tilted their way, they're pretty close, hard-fought battles.
"I expect that in this series, too."

The Ooks have gotten strong performances from up and down the lineup throughout the season, and when facing Red Deer, Hanna Paquette is the player who breaks out the most, posting six points (three goals, three assists) across the five games played. Joining Paquette with two-goal-game performances versus the Queens is Jessica Engelbrecht (two of the five goals in their recent win).

Notable overall hot streaks to close out the season include that of Halle Graham (three-game goal streak, four-game points streak) and graduating student-athlete Bre Martin (four assists over last three games).

Martin is one of six graduating student-athletes on this Ooks team looking to win it all in their last opportunity, which Coach Jensen notes adds significance to this postseason run for the team.

"That last kick at the can, so to speak... they know that this is it, and every game matters (more)."

Captain Hailey Cruickshank, another one of the graduating six (the others being Josie Nichols, Taylor Premak, Michaella Kibblewhite, and Kaitlyn Slator), agrees with Jensen.

"Our mentality is to play for your teammates, play for each other, so the six of us are definitely going hard, and the rest of the team is following (our path) from there," Cruickshank said.

Aiding the Ooks' mentality is that, in jostling for playoff positioning, they're already somewhat in playoff mode.

"To be honest, we've been playing playoff hockey for the last four (games), trying to figure out seeding, so I think we're battle-tested there," Jensen says.

Though the Ooks were unable to secure a higher playoff seed, Jensen feels it won't hinder the Ooks' ability to fly far.

"Through our conference play, being away, and also our non-conference play, it's something we tried to do was play the best competition possible.
"We've done a good job there, so we can show it coming into playoffs."

The Ooks hit the ice in Red Deer tonight at 7 PM before their home-ice game on Saturday at 6 PM at the NAIT Arena.